Verizon today announced that it is preparing to launch its voice over LTE (VoLTE) service sometime in September, reports CNET. The new service will be available nationwide on supported phones that are connected to the carrier's LTE network.

VoLTE will provide high-definition quality voice and video calls that will significantly improve the overall calling experience. Not only will customers notice an enhancement in voice call quality, they also will be able to initiate a FaceTime-like video call right from the dialer app.

Quote:

Once you experience the HD quality voice, you don't want to go back," Greg Dial, executive director of mobile services for Verizon, said in a pre-briefing and demonstration of the new service with reporters. "The tight integration of the video calling feature is also significant. You can launch it right from the dialer. There's no opening a separate app."

These new HD VoLTE calls will be considered voice calls and will count against a customer's available minutes. Video calls will be counted as data and will subtract from the customer's data allotment. There will be no extra charges for using this service, and it will be optional for customers.

Verizon has not specified which phones will be updated to support its new calling service, but the iPhone may be included on this list. The current generation iPhone chipset supports this feature, and it can be enabled with a software update. Rumors have suggested that Apple has plans to support VoLTE with the launch of iOS 8 and the iPhone 6. Along with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have announced plans to add VoLTE to their networks in the near future.

How would VOLTE work when you are on Wifi? Will it still use LTE for VOLTE if you are in a LTE area on Wifi?

No, when connected to Wi-Fi, you will be able to make calls over the Wi-Fi network for free, your phone will not be connected to LTE. This will really affect services like Skype, ooVoo, and other VoIP apps, since phones will be able to make video and audio calls out of the box.

I think what they mean is that if you use Verizon's feature, you are getting dinged for data AND minutes at the same time. If you use Facetime video, you don't get charged separately for audio -- it's just data.

This will finally allow Verizon to close the feature gap they have with ATT and T-Mobile. I wonder how long Verizon will wait to shutter there 2g network and migrate that spectrum over to A-LTE. I will have to see if the new phone and or software will support VOLTE as i was prepared to switch to ATT from VZW for talk and surf. The CDMA network just needs to be shuttered as soon as possible it is a drain on there spectrum resources.